Hurricane Hermine Advisory

The Hyde County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to declare a State of Emergency for the County of Hyde, NC and a mandatory evacuation for visitors of Ocracoke Island effective upon execution of a state of emergency declaration and evacuation order by the Chairman of the Board of 

Effective with the mandatory evacuation, visitor access will be temporarily restricted until further notice. Law enforcement will be stationed at each ferry terminal to enforce the entry/re-entry priority established by Hyde county. Please refer to the attached memorandum addressed to the North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division for further information.

Under a mandatory evacuation all ferry routes servicing Ocracoke Island will be on a first-come-first-serve basis. Please do not wait until it's too late! Reservations and priority status will not be honored. Tolls on the sound class ferries will also be temporarily removed. 

The NC Ferry Division has expressed serious concern for rising water levels in the Pamlico Sound. If the water level continues to rise, the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferries may not be able to utilize the loading docks. Therefore it is imperative that visitors choose to leave Ocracoke leave as soon as possible. Property owners and vendors entering Ocracoke today or tomorrow must realize there is a possibility they may not be able to get off the island via Hatteras.

Anyone who chooses to stay on Ocracoke for Tropical System named Hermine, does so at their own risk and should be prepared to sustain themselves for several days in the event of flooding, downed trees, and/or loss of power.

Any patients with advanced medical needs requiring special assistance should contact the Hyde County Health Department at (252) 926-4200.

OCRACOKE ENTRY/RE-ENTRY RESTRICTIONS AND PRIORTIES

Ocracoke entry/re-entry will be restricted to emergency personnel, utilities, vendors, residents, and nonresident property owners only. Access to Ocracoke Island for visitors is prohibited until further notice. Law enforcement will enforce the restrictions on all ferry routes until it has been deemed unnecessary.